Life-preserver



H. D. LAYMAN. LIFE PRBSBRVBR.

Patented Ndv. 19

AN DREW EGRNAM. PHOTO-LUNUAWASNINGI'OKDL.

' the weight of a person.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM D. LAYMAN, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,226, dated November 19, 1895.

Application filed November 17,1894."Y Serial No. 529,180. (No modali) llo all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM D. LAYMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Life-Preserver, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life-preservers; and it has for its object to effect certain improvements in life-preservers of that class in which the entire body of the wearer is protected from the water.

To this end the main and primary object of the present invention is to provide a light, durable, and perfectly safe life-preserver that is easily applied and worn with perfect comfort, while at the same time being so constructed as to bring the body of the wearer in an upright position the moment the water is reached and to maintain the body in such position while the preserver is being propelled through the water to a point of safety.

Vith these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement. of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of alife-preserver constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line of Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates a continuous tubular iniiatable float-body of an oval shape, and which is provided with an interior series of air-compartments 2, with which communicate suitable Valved filling-pipes 3, providing means for iniiating the tubular body for use or allowing the air to be pressed out of the same when not in use. The oval shape of the tubular inflatable body provides a narrow front end and a wide rear end, in order that but little resistance will be presented to the water as the preserver is propelled therethrough, while at the same time being suiliciently large to sustain At the wide rear end thereof the body 1 is of a greater diameter than at the narrow front end, in order that the weight of the wearer may be properly sustained without affecting the horizontal floating position of the body, which is always maintainedwhile the preserver is in the water.

The oval-shaped body 1 is preferably made of suitable rubber material, and encircles the upper part of a flexible water-tight pantaloonssuit 4, that is flexibly connected to the inner side edges of the said body 1 by means of the iieXible webbing 5, that admits of a free and easy movement for the body of the person within the suit 4 while in the water and also maintains the body 1 positively relatively dis- .l

posed with respect to said pantaloons-suit.

The flexible webbing 5 is seamed onto the inner sides of the body 1 and the outer side of the suit 4 by water-tight seams, and diverges in separate pieces from the body 1 to the suit 4, in order that the float-body 1 may be held attached to the pantaloons-suit at an oblique angle to the longitudinal center thereof or at an oblique angle to the length thereof, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. By reason of the fact that the floatbody 1 is disposed at an oblique angle to the length of the suit 4, the moment the iioat-body reaches the water the same will bring the suit 4 to an upright position, so that it is impossible for the life `preserver to be capsized.

The pantaloons-suit 4 is provided at its upper opposite edges with the shoulder-straps 6, and below such straps with the body-strap 7, to provide for fastening the same securelyto the body of the wearer, and the pantaloons proper or leggings of the said suit are provided upon opposite sides, near the feet thereof, with the paddles 8, that provide means for propelling the life-preserver.

The pantaloons-suit 4 is connected at its rear side directly against the wide rear-end portion of the oval-shaped iioat-body 1, so that almost the entire weight of the wearer is placed on this end of the body, which will easily sustain the weight without tilting or capsizing, and said pantaloons-suit has attached to both of the knees thereof one end of the adjustingstraps 9, the other ends of which are buckled at 10 to the front end of the body 1, so that when the wearer of the preserver becomes tired of an upright position the legs may be lifted to and secured in the ordinary sitting posture, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the draw ings.

IOO

is claimed, and desired to be securedby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a life preserver, a flexible Water-tightpantaloons suit, a continuous tubular infiat-` able float body encircling` the upper partiof saidsuit and disposed atan oblique angle to` the lengthiof. the suit, and positive fasteningmeans for connectingthe float body With the pantaloons suit and maintaining ythe saine relatively so disposed toeach other, substan-` tially as setforth'.

2. Ina life preserver, a continuous tubular infiatableioval fioat body offa greaterdiameter atitsrear than at its frontend, and a fierible pantaloons suit encircled near its upper end by` said float; bodyand'` connected to the same against the rear end portion thereof., substantially as set forth.

3. In a life preserver, aiiexible pantaloons suit, a tubular inatable float body encircling1 the upperpart'of saidsuit and disposed at an oblique angle to its length, and flexible pieces of diverging webbing connecting the inner sides of the float body with said pantaloons suit, substantially as set forth.

, 4. In a life, preserver, the flexible Watertight pantaloons suit providedwitli propelling paddles, a floatrencircling the upper part of said `suit and attached thereto, and adjusting `g straps attached at one end to the knees-of said I y suit and adj ustablyatktheir other-ends to said float, substantially as-seta forth.

ln testimony tliat-Irclaim the foregoing as.` y my own :I have hereto aixcd my si gnature in the presence of two witnesses.`

HIRAM I). LAYD'IAN. "Witnesses:

JoHNI-l; SIGGERS," HAROLD H. SIMMs. 

